Second Chance
by Kizmuth
Summary: After having blown the beast's soul out The Woodsman gets his daughter back. Her soul has been freed from the lantern by his act. However, hers isn't the only one free now. The beast awakes in his human form. How could this possibly change the peaceful times of The Unknown dwellers? 'No beast to worry about, finally free of the beast we are' They sing. Eh...Not quite.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Over the Garden Wall. All rights are reserved to Cartoon Network.**

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><p>I<p>

Acceptance

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><p><em>''Stop, you'll never see your daughter again, Woodsman! Are you really ready to go back to that empty house? NO, WOODSMAN!'' <em>

Then he screamed, everything turned dark, he couldn't see anything anymore. Stuck in a world, in a body that's eyes could see through the thickest of darkness, now useless. He felt restraints on his limbs and body yield slightly, enough to allow him to hang forward. He opened his eyes and groaned in pain. He ached so much. The restraints let go of him completely. He fell face first in to the darkness, on the hard ground beneath him. He saw nothing. He heard nothing cognitive. He only heard rustling and his restraints retracting backward. He stood up shakily, banging his head against the roof of the cramped space. Quickly, he grabbed the restraints and touched them in hopes of finding out what had held him down so tightly. Tree roots. He was under a tree. Fear washed across his face. He was underneath a tree.

He patted himself, trying to figure out where the holes and where the wooden limbs had gone to. He ran his hand he caressed his smooth skin with his fingers and cried out in joy. Next, the dismayed human touched his head and saw that it had hair, no more was there wood. No more were there heavy antlers that dragged him down. He felt light. So light. He could dance if he had room. He didn't.

His eyes widened as he touched his surroundings, trying to find a way out. Nothing would budge. He was trapped under this tree. He was finally free and now...now he was to die. Something foreign slid down his cheeks, a wet substance; tears. It had been so long since he cried. He laid his head down at the root once more and sighed deeply. He was free. He was losing air, but he was free of the curse that bound him to that lantern. That bound him to that job. That created a monster he hated. All of those innocent children...

He wondered if he had a nice voice as a human. That was the only upside to the whole beast of the unknown thing.

_''One cannot trade the souls of children as if they were tokens!''_

Tears began anew. They slid down his face slowly so he could feel them. So he could feel anything. He was grim. He was so very grim back then. Filled with nothing but a desire to plunge into darkness whomever he could. He let out a raspy cry, ''I'm sorry! I am so sorry!'' This was a good fate, he deserved this fate. To starve to death or die due to lack of oxygen. Yes, he deserved worse.

He covered his face with his hands. He couldn't believe he still had a body to return to. It was glorious. He didn't know what to do. His eyes were normal now. He chuckled and started coughing immediately after. A smile spread across his face – he was finally human! It was so long. So long since he could feel darkness creeping up on him like he had crept up on many. It felt liberating in a way. No longer was he aware. He was human. He was a flawed human again. He closed his eyes. It didn't matter now though. Death waited for him. It wasn't nice to make death wait. He would die with a smile. A smile he hadn't been able to form in so long. He clutched his hand close to his chest.

He leaned on the tree root and breathed softly, loving every minute of the limited life he had been given. ''Lalala lalalala...'' He sang meekly, overcome with great exhaustion. He let go of his hand and it fell limply next to him.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: The story will be updated irregularly. It all depends if I have free time to continue or not. I'll try my best to update.

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><p>II<p>

Beginning

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><p>It was dark. The cool night air sent chills down those clothed contradictory to the weather. The children may have gone back home but that did not change the weather in a single way. The tavern dwellers were nestled up with food and drink while they sang and boozed to fill their lonesome existence.<p>

The woodsman was among them now, he and an elderly woman sat together and spoke in a friendly manner. Another pair of adults were seated at the same table as them. They all sang, cheered, and enjoyed their freedom.

''Free of the beast, we are finally! Free of the beast indeed!''

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><p>The elder children were at home, celebrating in their own way. No one wanted to see their parents drunk. Beatrice, Lorna, Beatrice's entire flock of siblings, and Emily. The youngest girl of the three friends was Emily, she was The woodsman's daughter. They were all at Beatrice's home. ''Do your parents have any alcohol?'' Lorna inquired off hand.<p>

Emily squirmed. ''I don't think it would be wise to drink...''

''I'm not asking for drinking. Beatrice's brothers look like they'll need some alcohol tonight for wounds if they don't settle down.'' The dark haired girl spoke. Beatrice nodded in agreement. ''Settle down, Friedrich and Mark both of you!'' She yelled at the youngest children.

''...It's not fair, why did the grown ups get to go out while we can't?'' whined Mark as he pushed his brother away. Beatrice's ears reddened in anger. She narrowed her eyes and hissed, ''Sit down, one chair as a free space between you.'' The boys rolled their eyes but followed the instruction. The second eldest sister snickered at the sullen boys.

''Where's Gretchen?'' Beatrice wondered.

Lorna had the answer for that, ''I think she is still outside looking for your dog...'' Beatrice's eyes widened in fear. Emily went to ask what was wrong but withdrew immediately upon Beatrice's panicked run. She dashed to the door, grabbed a coat, hastily put it on, grabbed a house lantern, and ran outside. ''Lorna, Emily look after my siblings will you!'' She left before she could receive a proper answer.

The cool night air brushed up against her frame and caressed her skin, bringing out a small concert from her chattering teeth. She rubbed her arms and wandered towards the forest where their dog was prone to go to. All she could think of was pulling her sister's ear and telling her off. Gretchen knew quite well that no one was allowed in the woods. Even though The Beast was gone. Beatrice fumed. ''Of course she pulls a stunt like this when our parents aren't around. She knows the consequences to her actions wouldn't be all too favourable.'' Beatrice narrowed her eyes to help her see through the swaying trees. Windy tonight as it seemed, Beatrice mused and marched forward into The Unknown.

It was harder to navigate as a human. Beatrice noticed grimly. No freedom of wings to help her see where to go. It was all on her now. She missed the power of flight a bit. The red haired girl shook her head, ''I'm happier now.'' She smiled happily and continued on her journey. ''Gretchen!'' The eldest child shouted. ''Gretchen, please answer if you can hear me!''

She was prepared to head back in shame with a tail between her legs and a desperate plead for help before she heard barking. Beatrice hoped and prayed that her sister was with the dog. The eldest child endured and moved through the dark forest.

Following the barking led her to her dog and sister that was just as confused as Beatrice was. The dog squealed and tugged at the younger sister's sleeve to follow her. Gretchen made one step to follow her but when she saw the lantern she stopped dead in her tracks. ''Ahhh the beast!'' She screamed.

''No...it's worse.'' Beatrice hissed in anger and grabbed her sister's wrist tightly. ''I told you not to wander off, I told all of you time and time again!'' She shouted.

''Sorry but I needed to see where our dog was!'' Gretchen mumbled. The dog tugged at her again. ''See, she wants to lead me somewhere, Beatrice!''

''...Gretchen, go home. Do you know the way?'' Gretchen nodded. ''Can you see the way?'' Beatrice rephrased her question. This time she received an apprehensive, ''uuhh...not sure...''

''Fine, stick with me, we'll go to see where the dog wants to lead us.'' The eldest smiled. ''Yay!'' The two sisters held hands as the wandered through the woods with their eager dog. She squealed the entire time and led them to a small clearing.

Within said clearing was a huge tree. The biggest Beatrice had seen. It looked like a weird edelwood. She held her younger sister tighter. ''What is that tree?'' It was in the exact centre of the clearing. She looked around and saw that nothing looked familiar anymore. ''...Gretchen...please tell me you remember the way home.'' Beatrice bit her lip and gulped down a small ball of worry creeping up her throat when her younger sister shook her head no. ''Well...I don't either...''

Gretchen tore from her sister's grasp and stumbled to the tree with the dog running a metre or so ahead.

''Wait, stay away from the big tree, Gretchen, come on! It's an unknown tree in The Unknown you can't honestly expect it to be anything but dangerous!'' Beatrice groaned and hurried her pace. The wind blew through the tree and she heard some sort of whistling coming from the holes in it. ''See!'' Beatrice yelled.

''Stop being so melodramatic,'' Gretchen tossed back and stopped when she had reached the tree. She knocked on it and eyed it with curiosity. The dog began digging and squealing the entire time.

''You do not disrupt ancient unknown trees. Has being in The Unknown taught you nothing?'' Beatrice rhetorically asked. She shone the lantern from her home to the place where the dog was digging and narrowed her eyes once more.

''Is that...'' Beatrice began. The dog continued digging.

''A person underneath there?''

''It's a corpse! Move away Gretchen. Dog stop doing that! Don't disturb a corpse...''

Gretchen stepped away as the dog still dug. ''But shouldn't it be near Potsfield? I mean corpses are usually buried over there...aren't they?''

Beatrice nodded and grabbed a hold of her dog. ''Step away from the corpse.''

''I'm gonna touch it.'' Gretchen said.

''No, do not touch the corpse, Gretchen!'' Beatrice shouted in exasperation.

The younger sister reached down and poked the young boy's face. ''I touched the corpse.''

Beatrice groaned.

The boy slowly opened his eyes at the repeated assault on his face. ''Wha...'' he tried speaking, the sentence a hoarse and raspy mess. The younger sister screamed and punched him in the face in her adrenaline driven state. Beatrice shrieked, ''What?''

''He's in legion with the undead!''

''What?'' Beatrice repeated, disbelief coating her words. She paced to the hole where they had seen the corpse and cocked her head to the side.

''...''

The boy blinked and continued staring at the eldest sister with some form of weariness. ''He's alive..'' Beatrice mumbled and held out a hand to the boy who raised it shakily. Beatrice took his hand and pulled him out, with surprising ease. He was remarkably thin and unfed as it appeared. He fell on her and she held him. Gretchen came closer to help. ''Hold the lantern, I'll carry him.'' She handed Gretchen the lantern and still held the boy in her arms. He looked around Wirt's age. The once sarcastic bluebird now sarcastic human teenagers tsked, ''If only I knew the way back...''

Gretchen nodded in affirmation to her sister's words. She agreed completely. The cold was starting to affect her as well. ''I'm cold...'' Gretchen whined. Beatrice merely nodded and looked at the thin clothes the boy wore. ''He's colder.'' She mumbled gravely. ''We need to take him home quickly.''

''But where is it...'' Gretchen asked and looked at her sister, waiting.

''I don't know, Gretchen. Let's just go over there,'' Beatrice pointed at a random direction where the trees were sparse, but the turtles thick in number.

''Not that way...'' he managed to say slowly. The boy looked like barely clung to life. ''Beatrice he said we shouldn't go that way...'' Gretchen repeated. ''I heard him.'' Beatrice mumbled. ''I'll go with my gut instinct and go that way.I think I know the forest pretty well...well enough...'' She whispered. The boy huffed as a sarcastic retort to her claim.

''Like you know where we need to go!'' Beatrice sneered. She was cold and desperate and scared. It was not a good combination. Especially not for one trapped in The Unknown. The beast took advantage of those people best.

''Tavern is closest.'' He said through sleepy eyes. Slowly, he closed them and leaned on the once bluebird now human Beatrice. ''...I feel exhaustion...'m so happy...''

''I think we should listen to him. You were never really good with directions. That was always mom's specialty.'' Gretchen teased.

''If you want us to follow this stranger's directions fine! Boy, where should we go?''

The beast raised his arm and pointed behind them. ''Fifty metres that way. Tavern close... lots of people...'' He mumbled and nuzzled against Beatrice who twitched. ''If we get even more lost, I swear-'' Her sentence was interrupted by a mad coughing fit that enveloped the boy. Tears began in his eyes from the searing pain in his lungs. He pushed himself from Beatrice, thinking it would give him some more air by getting rid of her but it only hurt more. He dropped to his knees and collapsed on all fours, puking black goo out. It looked like tree oil. His stomach twisted in agony. He let out a scream, fell in his puke and began shaking. ''Hurts...it hurts...'' He closed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around his stomach.

Gretchen stepped back at the sight. It was too much for her. ''How about I go run for help-'' Beatrice glared at her. ''Grab his legs. We need to get him to Madam Whispers.'' Gretchen nodded glumly and did as she was told. ''Is he gonna be okay?'' The younger girl asked. The boy's frame shook. He was speaking gibberish. He still had his eyes shut tightly, not being able to look at the people that were helping him. He was so weak. He was dependent. His eyes snapped open and they glowed again. He screamed as he saw everything once more. The girls only tried shushing him. ''Calm down, we'll-''

No. No. NO!

The word echoed through his mind, he saw his hands made out of wood, the faces staring up at him with their agony ridden expressions. He shook his head and shut his eyes, trying to bury the images out of his mind. It didn't work. The beast opened them slowly this time and saw them made out of shadows...he saw the shadowy fur swaying with the wind and shed tears once more. Another stab in his lungs caused him to clench completely and grit his teeth in pain. He felt something coming up his throat but tried gulping it down.

''Is he going to live?'' Gretchen could be heard asking.

''...Of course he is,'' Beatrice humoured her sister even though she herself was uncertain.

They made it to the tavern quicker than they had expected to. Beatrice was uneasy,the boy's directions were flawless. In fact, it was an easy shortcut to follow. She looked down at him and contorted her face in worry. ''Who are you?'' She asked.

Gretchen left them and hurried to the tavern, jumping in with great force. It would be seen as rude by the adults no doubt. Beatrice lay the boy down on a nearby tree trunk and eyed him a bit now. She shone the lantern on his horribly pale face. It wasn't a healthy shade to have.

His clothes were...old. Older than any style she had seen in The Unknown that was for sure. Wirt would probably know what time period he hailed from. Beatrice smiled,''He's probably being a dork at home now.''

Gretchen ran out the tavern accompanied by the woodsman and Whispers. She looked at the boy in her arms and scowled. ''Oh dear...this is very serious. Hand him to The Woodsman, child.'' Beatrice did as she was told. The woodsman carried the young, scrawny child without much difficulty. ''Where did you find him, Beatrice?'' Whispers asked with a frown.

''In the forest...''

''Where in the forest?'' The old witch inquired further. Beatrice held her tongue, not feeling that the answer would help the boy in any way.

''Beneath a tree...our dog dug him up.'' Gretchen answered however and patted the dog on its head.

''...Oh dear...that is not good at all.'' She looked at the shivering child in the woodsman's arms and shook her head. ''It'll be too late to take him to my home. Set him down on the ground. Make sure he doesn't have anything behind him that could result in him breaking his neck. He may spasm.'' She instructed. The woodsman and the two girls followed.

''Hold him down.'' The witch ordered.

''What's wrong with him anyway?'' Beatrice asked as she held down the coughing boy. Gretchen grabbed his arm and held it down. The woodsman held his head and nodded to the witch.

''His body and soul have been apart for many many years. The body has remained in tact due to The Unknown's dark forces. The sudden reunion of body and soul has thrown everything out of tact. The body is rejecting the soul. Trying to cough it up, my, the poor child may be seeing their worst nightmares right now,'' she noted the tears sliding down his cheeks ever so slowly.

''Can you help him?''

''That depends on him. A soul without its body can latch onto some pretty scary memories...If his will doesn't spoil he'll live. He needs to want to live.'' The witch said and began chanting a spell. As her words flowed elegantly through the air the boy's eyes widened, his eyes coloured and glowing. He still shook.

The woodsman stared down at those eyes that stared back at him with such intense fear that he felt something in him snap into place. He knew those eyes...A small smile curved upward on the boy's lips as they maintained eye contact. He didn't know where though. The eyes stared at him with pain and he closed them quickly before letting out a loud hiss. ''What exactly are you doing to the boy?'' The woodsman asked.

''I'm trying to settle his soul into place.'' Whispers answered and came closer, ''hold him down,'' They held him down tighter. Whispers placed a hand on the boy's chest and continued her chanting. He twisted in their grasp, squirmed under their restraints and yelled, his voice hoarse and dehydrated, ''Stop...stop...please just stop.''

The woodsman gave the boy a sympathetic glance. Beatrice and Gretchen looked at him with pity. Gretchen more so than Beatrice who still held a seed of doubt in her mind that grew and grew. Who was this boy that know the woods so well. It didn't look like a lie he made a truth by sheer luck. It was a calculated answer on his part. He knew where they were and he knew where everything was. Like he had traversed the woods for longer than any denizen in The Unknown had. Beatrice hmm'd. ''Hang in there. You'll make it.'' She smiled, hoping her words to contain some truth in them. She needed answers to these questions burning in her mind brighter than the dark lantern had.

The boy's eyes opened again due to the immense pain his body surged with. His eyes were coloured in the most terrifying of colours. The same ones the beast held.

''You are so lost, young one.'' Whispers noted and continued with her spell.

His eyes scanned the old woman and smiled, puke coming up and oozing through his mouth. He glanced at the puke that held no colour but only saw black. He screamed in pain, the people held him tighter when he squirmed, tears beginning anew. ''Help me, Whispers...'' The boy whispered pitifully, his eyes dimming, the colours vanishing from his eyes. ''Don't let him...'' The boy mumbled incoherently, ''don't...''

''He knows you?'' The woodsman raised his brows. The old witch nodded. ''Of course he does,'' she said nothing more on the matter and raised her hand from his chest to his forehead. She pressed her thumb on his forehead and pushed slightly. A new chant left her lips. ''Fight it,'' she commanded, ''FIGHT IT! Earn your right to live once more as you are supposed to!''

The boy twitched and began spasming. The woodsman and the sisters held the boy down as much as they could but Gretchen let go of him and the boy raised his free arm to the woods and said, ''there...there...don't let him...'' He mumbled, the colours reappearing in his eyes.

''One step forward two steps back with him...'' Whispers said.

The woodsman followed the boy's finger and grumbled lowly. That was the direction where he had buried the lantern. It had to be a coincidence. It had to be. He saw the smile on the boy's lips and those eyes and shuddered. Whatever had a grip on him truly didn't want to let go.

''Come on buddy you can do it...'' Beatrice encouraged and shook him. The witch and The woodsman told her to stop that in unison. She shrunk back at their harsh command but cooed, ''just endure a little bit,'' His coloured eyes fell on her and she flinched at the emptiness that stared at her. ''Hello...Adelaide bird...''Beatrice's eyed widened in fear of him. She let go of his arm but quickly regained composure and held him down for the sake of this exorcism being completed. Or whatever it was.

The beast leaned backward in the woodsman's open palms and hummed. The colour in his eyes becoming stronger, brighter. All he saw was the black, inky complexion of his forming again. It looked nice, it felt familiar. He smiled. This was him. Not some low human. Another sharp stab in his chest caused his eyes to flicker. The maddening colours flickered out replaced by a placid, human grey. Another stab and the colour scheme switched up. This went on throughout the whole ritual.

Whispers withdrew her hands and told them to let him go. ''All is up to him now.'' The two girls let go of him instantly. The woodsman apprehensively did as told.

''...My daughter didn't need this whole treatment...'' The woodsman recalled bringing Emily to Whispers and Lorna for a check-up.

''Your daughter was not separated from her soul as much as he was.''

''It was years!'' The woodsman cried.

''Not even close to the time his soul has been separate.''

Everyone stared at the child and wondered the same thing; who was he and why has he appeared now after being in The Unknown for so long.

''...Your house is closer, Woodsman?'' Whispers stated in form of a question. The woodsman nodded, understanding the implication. ''I'll take the boy to my home, I'm sure Emily is already there by now and you take those drunken parents of theirs home with them.''

Everyone parted way. The woodsman huffed with the boy in his arms that buried his head in his chest and shivered. ''Let's get you home little one.''

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><p>''Yes...let's get you home.'' The beast spoke softly with many evil thoughts swirling his mind. He looked at the child before him and hissed, ''You aren't worthy of a new life.''<p>

''I've been nothing but kind in my existence!'' The boy shouted. Their surroundings shook and cracked under the shouting child, ''All you have done is destroy, corrupt!''

''I AM YOUR SOUL YOU PATHETIC CHILD!'' The beast shouted and advanced towards the child. ''I am what you truly are. I am what you have always been and always will be. A second chance? Please, you do not deserve one.''

''You are what my soul has always feared. You are nothing but a figment of my worst fears that has had its incarnation into the world! I don't have to listen to you!'' The boy shouted.

''Oh, yes you do. I am you. You are ME.'' The beast lurked closer to the boy and stared him down with his colourful eyes. Bland grey stared down the colourful eyes of a monster his soul had made.

''Your soul does not deserve redemption.'' The beast hissed, ''You do not deserve redemption. We are nothing other than a simple monster that dwells within these woods. When you accept that you shall find true peace.'' The beast crooned. The boy twitched at the lies. ''You lie! You always lie!''

''Maybe I do not. How would you know? Have you spent enough time with your soul? Mere years compared to my decades – my centuries! How do you know who you truly are?''

''How do you know that you cannot be better?'' The boy spat.

The beast laughed at the naivety of one so young. ''It really is apparent that you are a child. You remember all that I have seen, yet you have not seen it through my eyes. You have not experienced it. I enjoy my work. I enjoyed their screams. Their pitiful childish wails as my tree roots wrapped around them – through them. I loved when they pierced their flesh most.'' The beast leered. ''You do not know how corrupt your soul truly is.''

''You are not my soul...'' The boy protested and covered his ears when the beast laughed. ''You aren't my soul! I refuse you. I refute thee edelwood spirit. You have taken advantage of me!''

The beast fell silent. He tilted his head and asked in a low, quiet tone. ''You truly do not remember how I came to be? You do not remember the separation...I pity your ignorance.'' The beast whispered sadly.

''Shut up! You don't know anything! You murderer of innocent children!''

''YOU remember the innocent. I remember the DESPERATE and the MURDEROUS! I remember the corrupt. I remember everything. As you do. But you do not see clearly enough. The darkness that blinds you is seen by my eyes,'' The beast gestured his glowing eyes. ''I have seen many children slaughter their siblings for me. I have seen many children do my bidding in exchange for passage through The Unknown. Desperation is key to any exploiter's success. As you should know. Why would you want to give up the thing you have been so good at? You are only good at being me. Our soul deserves this fate, you said so yourself. We deserve death do we not?''

''...Weren't you my soul minutes ago?'' The boy noted with displeasure. He saw through the inky creature's lies easily.

''You are me. I am you. If I lie of course you can tell. I realize you think living among these people would be good and productive but wouldn't you like to see her? She's dead by now for certain. Wouldn't you like to move on with the rest, not dwell in this place?''

''I am bound here, Beast. You just want me to agree with you so you get to manifest again and stuff our soul in to that lantern! I won't let you! It's my turn. As it has been meant to be!'' The boy clenched his hands into fists and stomped up to The Beast that retracted. ''I am the master of my soul and I shall make the decisions. I beat you demon!''

''Demon?'' The beast tilted his head. ''I am no demon. I am you.''

''You lie!''

''Yes. But not about this. If you are as defiant as you are. As we are. I shall go along with this. You want to live among the dwellers of my forest? Fine. You shall dwell with them. But the instance when you are thrown away by these people you wish to live with...YOU ARE MINE!'' The beast's eyes glowed brighter than ever, his voice echoing.

''...I want to agree but I need to know a bit more first.''

''...My you really have changed,'' The beast mused, ''living under that tree has changed you a bit. What is it that you need to know?''

''What's your role in this concerto of mine?''

''I have no role. You and I are one. I have become due to our separation. When we unite we are one. I cannot talk to you like a voice inside your head. We merge fully. But the conditions to our deal will separate us once more and I shall fully dispose of you, soul thief.''

''My soul originally. I am the source. Deal.'' The boy extended his hand to the beast who took it, ''Deal. You will regret this.''

''Oh please, no I won't. I was given another chance at life. As if I'm going to pass that up, beastie.'' The boy grinned.

''Undermine yourself all you like, but you do not know scorn as I do. You do not understand that people aren't as easily forgiving as the books tell you.''

''...I knew that since before I came to The Unknown. I understand that my life will be filled with trials and errors but I won't give up on it like you have...''

''I tried-''

''You failed.'' The boy spat with bile. He smiled. ''I won't.''

''...If you say so.'' The beast trailed off. ''Better prepare yourself for your new life then. A life without me. However, the stigma I have left in this world is not an easy one to shake off. All of my knowledge is yours now. Use it wisely.'' The tall entity snapped his sharp fingers.

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><p>His eyes snapped open once more, the bland grey colour staring up happily at the ceiling. A small smile etched itself across his face and he whispered, ''Yes.''<p>

''Ah you're awake. Are you well?'' The woodsman inquired and smiled. He had thought the boy wouldn't make it through the night. The boy nodded and was handed a glass of water. ''Drink up.'' The boy blinked, grabbed the glass with his hands, and drank it. To think water would taste so beautifully. He drank the entire glass in one big gulp and set it on a nightstand. Funny...he was in a bed. This was familiar yet foreign. The boy smiled warmly up at the woodsman.

He smiled at him as well but the smile did not last long on his features. He heard a door open and they both looked at the intruder.

''Father would you like some hot cocoa? Oh! You're awake.'' Emily said in surprise.

''No thank you dear.'' The woodsman smiled again. The beast couldn't believe what a different man he was when he was happy. They all were different when they weren't around him. He was poison that seeped through their veins and forced them to dance for his own purposes. He was hideous. Now he would start his redemption and try his best to make amends with them all. Especially The Woodsman. Or maybe the bluebird family? Or the...he had a long list to get to.

Emily's eyes locked with his and she looked at him oddly before scurrying away.


End file.
